Shopkeepers to register with BMC for using plastic carry bags

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday issued a public notice asking street vendors and shopkeepers for having registration for using plastic carry bags as per the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016.

The issuance of notice by BMC came after an instruction from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, said an official release.

According to the rules, Shopkeepers, street vendors and retailers will not sell or provide commodities to consumer in carry bags or plastic sheets or multilayered packaging which are not manufactured or labelled as prescribed under the rules.

They have to be registered with the BMC for using approved carry bags. They would apply through online to the BMC in prescribed format along with registration fees of Rs 4,000 per month or Rs 48,000 per year by January 30, 2018 in shape of online payment only.

The Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) of registration for using plastic carry bags is available in BMC website.

The plastic carry bags or sheets shall not be less than 50 micron in thickness. If they don’t comply by February 20, penalty as deemed fit would be imposed and action taken for cancellation of trade license.

The registration fees collected would be utilised for plastic waste management in the BMC area.